From the Omaha World-Herald October 18, 2004
Washington County drivers will soon be the first to go around in circles on
a Nebraska highway. Workers prepare the state's first highway
roundabout at the intersection of U.S. Highway 30 and Nebraska Highway 133
at Blair. The roundabout will open to traffic Nov. 15. A three-way
roundabout intersection connecting U.S. Highway 30 and Nebraska Highway 133
is scheduled to open to traffic Nov. 15. Roundabouts, also known as traffic
circles, are gaining popularity as a cheaper and safer alternative to
traffic signs, said Ray Trujillo, highway project manager for the Nebraska
Department of Roads.
But the intersection at Blair has a unique characteristic,
he said. In addition to the traffic circle, it features three
through-lanes around it. Drivers headed from Omaha to Blair, from Blair to
Fremont or from Fremont to Omaha can bypass the traffic circle on those
lanes. Only drivers who want to turn left - those going from Blair to
Omaha, from Omaha to Fremont or from Fremont to Blair - will have to enter
the circle.
Trujillo said that based on a traffic study, officials
expect less than 50 percent of the traffic actually will enter the
roundabout at the intersection. By design, even regular roundabouts can
carry more traffic than intersections with stoplights, Trujillo said.
Roundabouts also reduce delay times, and they are less expensive to build
and maintain. "They're being used more and more," he said. Currently,
about 100 roundabout intersections exist on major roads in the United
States, with another 100 being planned, Trujillo said.
Their design, which lets drivers make only right turns
into and out of the circles, improves safety because it reduces conflict
points caused by turning traffic, he said. A nice side effect is that
"the roundabout intersections are very aesthetically pleasing," he added.
The Blair project, which began in spring 2003, also
included the widening of a stretch of Highway 30 in Blair from two to five
lanes. Drivers have been able to use the new lanes since July. With 98
percent of the work completed, the project is about four months, or 27
percent, ahead of schedule, Trujillo said. Finishing touches are expected to
be completed next spring. |
From the Omaha World-Herald
November 5, 2004
BLAIR - A three-way roundabout
intersection connecting U.S. Highway 30 and Nebraska 133 has opened, 11 days
ahead of schedule. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held
Thursday morning in Blair.
Mayor Jim Realph said the intersection,
which handles 22,000 vehicles a day, is historic. It is the first modern
roundabout built on a major highway in Nebraska.
State Sen. Mick Mines of Blair, the city's
former mayor, said the idea of a roundabout intersection was questioned by
many residents when the project began in spring 2003. Since then, opinions have come around, he
said. "It's a positive move that shows that
Washington County is growing," Mines said.
The roundabout has an inside circle for
drivers who want to turn left. Those wanting to turn right or go straight -
going from Omaha to Blair, from Blair to Fremont or from Fremont to Omaha -
can bypass the circle on three through lanes.
- Marion Rhodes
|
